For

The acid sulphate
problem is serious and likely to get worse, and these soils should be
covered
up by the only water available in large enough quantities, seawater.

The Lakes were originally
a tidal estuary, where the lower parts nearer the sea would have been
subject to daily inundation of seawater at high tide.

The drought may continue for some years,
perhaps even for a very long time if we are entering a climatically dry period, which could be
exacerbated by global warming.

Even if more
water could be released from upstream, under the present situation of
State control, it is unlikely that water in
sufficient quantities will be released in time to
prevent a serious situation from
developing.

Precipitation
upstream will be used to replenish the extremely
low storages
before it will be released to the lower reaches.

In a worst case
scenario,
this
may lead to LakeAlexandrina developing into
a series of isolated salty, acidified pools, with no water
in Lake Albert, leading to toxic dust
being blown inland with
concomitant health problems.

The modifying
effect of the original large body of water on
the climate of the surrounding lands would disappear.

The building of
weirs to protect fresh waters of the River Murray and FinnissRivers is necessary to maintain the
pool height for Adelaide’s water intake,
and provide
refuges for freshwater wildlife behind the
weirs.

The huge loss of
fresh water by evaporation from the surface of the Lakes cannot be
afforded under a regime of water scarcity.